After getting my pulley and tune loaded I went out to the TnT to test before the race Sunday, I aired my tires down to 25 psi, the track prep was horrible and my fastest time was a 13.5XX which was a huge disappointment, my first pass was a 14.1XX. I then aired my tires back up and with my wife in the car I ran a 13.6XX, go figure. I was all over the track, I deemed first gear was useless due to the fact I would spin and it would shift to second. In "W" mode I have read it starts the car off in second gear to assist with traction, I thought about it last night when I got home, if I run it in "W" then I will skip 1st all together. I went out on a deserted desert road this morning and tried my theory, it worked. I could launch at a higher RPM and had little to no tire spin and that was an unprepped (Probably sandy) desert road. I guess my questions here are:

1) What are the negative effects of this? 2)Has anyone tried it before? 3)Is starting out in second the only thing "W" mode does? I just want to make sure it isn't going to shift through all gears differently. I am sure the track will be prepped great for the race Sunday, however you only get three time trial passes and I don't think three passes are enough to get an accurate bracket time and try my theory. I understand that slicks and a wavetrac would fix my problems, I'm just looking for a temporary fix to get accurate times for bracket racing as everyone knows with brackets, it's not how fast your car is, it's how consistent it is, thanks.

Just to note, while having pulley issues and a bad alignment I ran a 13.066 so I was expecting better, I know last night was due to bad prep and a 30 mph head wind.

 

You can also use your slap stick to start out in 2nd gear and not be concerned with S & W.

 

Thanks, I didn't know that, I thought if I put it in second it would still start out in first and would just hold in second after it shifted up

 

Bill, I don't think this will work. In "S" it will not "skip" 1st, even placed in 2nd.

At least I think...

Will "W" limit revs? That would be my concern using it as a "Poor Man's Launch Control".

 

I tried it and was slower in W. You need to practice launching while feeding in the throttle. I can't just floor it with my drag radials and Wavetrac. Add throttle as fast as the traction you have. Not so easy I've discovered.

Les

 

I just tried it, I put in 2nd and stepped on it, stayed in 2nd until I shifted to third.

 

S = Super
W = Wimpy

 

Thanks for all the responses, I got the answer to my question, figured there was more to it then it being that simple.

 

Yes but it still starts in first. I start off alot in"2" and it will still go to one before shifting to second. W will keep it from going in 1.

 

"w" will not work, so don't waste your time there. I was spinning thru 3 gears yesterday on a concrete runway with zero prep. I tried everything to get a good launch to no avail. I needed my drag radials, and that might have helped. yesterday sucked big time. car was running fine. data logger didn't record, so that was no help. Just wasn't my day. practice your launches, but you need tires that will hold the car, or you are wasting your time. I might as well had been on water yesterday as it was no different. try to go to tracks that race often that always have vt down. they are sticky, but you will need drag radials. I only had one good set of goodyear summer compound tires that gripped well, and they are no longer made. street tires summer compound are close, but won't match a good set of drag radials. My next set will be true racing slicks, and we will see what that does.

 

This is correct
The only way to avoid first gear (1) is to use (W) mode

 

Unless you get the TCM tune from EC... Then you can hold any gear in "W". Plus the added benefit of quicker, firmer shifts.

 

Two weeks ago my best run was a 12.4 on streets but only with the traction "on". Tried it on a whim and it helped cause I had no traction at all. Last Friday night my best with Drag radials was my first run with a 12.5 then the times only got worse from there. I was expecting a lot more but air density and track prep can also kill you. Even with DR's I have no traction. Got to learn to lean into the throttle gently.